Newbie help needed please (knee/leg pain)

Dear All,

Following a leg break at the start of this year (right femur), I had an intermedullary nail inserted in to my femur to stabilise the break. I was on crutches from February to May. Since then my leg has healed fine, but my flexibility and leg muscle mass has greatly suffered and been reduced.

A couple of weeks ago, I was running for the train down the escalator, when I felt something go on the outside of my knee. There was no noise or crack or anything like that, but just something weakened my leg and I couldn’t weight bear on that side anymore.

Since then, whenever I try to stand or walk, after about 20 meters I feel a very dull painful ache right through my leg, from my right gluteus muscle down to just below the knee. I also get sharp pains in my knee when I make any sudden turns. My iliotibial band appears swollen on my right leg about 3 quarters of the way down the femur, but most of the pain is in my right vastus lateralis – just above the knee. It is incredibly painful and currently I can barely walk. I found this strange as it is on the other side of my IT band. The pain is so bad, I am back on crutches now.

I had an x-ray done over the weekend, and was told there was some fluid on either side of the femur above the knee and that could be what is causing the pain through my leg. The good news was there is no fracture or break, no damage to the nail, and no damage to the distal screws. Also my previous break has healed, and the femur is now fully unionized.

The orthopaedic surgeon did not believe an MRI scan was necessary. The pain is still excruciating though, particularly at night, and currently walking is very difficult. I keep feeling blood pulsing through the thigh and my right foot gets hot very quickly.

Just to summarise, the main centres of pain are my vastus lateralis, and the top of my tibia, and to a lesser degree the IT band, although it is swollen a little, as well as some shooting pain through my right gluteus.

I have tried several stretches for the IT band, which have helped relieve the pain there, but the overall intense general leg pain is still very much there.

Could it be a trapped nerve? Tendon issue? Muscle tear?

Can anyone over any advice please?


Many thanks.